2025 Winchelsea

Winchelsea, an historic Cinque Port and one of the best preserved medieval planned towns in the country was the location for the Centurion’s early summer social walk. Situated on the south coast between Hastings and Rye, the town was founded in the late thirteenth century as a port by King Edward I, replacing Old Winchelsea which was swept away by storms and the rising sea.

Starting at the Queens Head Public House on the edge of town, the early part of the walk followed well marked paths through fields, railway crossings and lanes through the countryside into Winchelsea. An ancient stone cherub was spotted dumped in a skip. It would be a crime for this to end up in landfill, but it was too heavy for the boot of a car. Kim was to resolve this dilemma later by speaking to a local church warden who was going to retrieve said cherub with the help of a friend.

Good deed done it was time for coffee, and a visit to the church of St Thomas. Famed as the final resting place of comic Spike Milligan. The church is one of the finest in Sussex, planned to cathedral proportions. The ravages of the Hundred Year War has left part of the outer building in ruins but the present church has remarkable stained glass windows design in the early twentieth century by Douglas Strachan.

Our walk continued, leaving the town and passing ‘New Gate’, at one time, the only way in to Winchelsea by land, providing a defence against invading forces, finally arriving at the Charles Palmer Winery. There, samples were enthusiastically consumed and further bottles purchased. The adjacent Wickham Manor dating from the sixteenth century was used as the film set of Mr Holmes (2015), and as Lord Snowdon’s family home on the Crown (Netflix, 2019).

A short walk led back to the pub, where good food and ale was served as a pleasant conclusion to our day.

Thanks to Kim Howard C1020 for leading the walk, and those attending.